Cuba

Trinidad. When we drove up the narrow cobblestone street and saw the colorful houses with small doorways that lined the streets, I began getting a bit apprehensive. We stopped in front of one of the doorways and doubts quickly began to surface. Hmmm... Our leaders urged us to go inside and wait. A lovely entrance led to a large kitchen area, then guestrooms. This home had a stairway to the owners’ quarters, two air-conditioned guestrooms with private bathrooms and an outside walkway to the upstairs room and bathroom overlooking the town. The owners were gracious, spoke some English and provided a huge breakfast each morning. The wide variety of restaurants was amazing and delightful; the food was delicious. The people we talked or waved to smiled when we asked to take their photograph. They rarely asked for a coin or two.

No surprises: The classic cars are incredible — there are more than 70,000 of them in Cuba. Big tour buses are coming now. Airlines are scheduling flights, and cruise ships are on the way. We were so fortunate to see the country near the end of its being frozen in time for 50 years.

The writer lives in Sedona.